Breasfeeding Issue

[SimpleMom]

I have a dear little dck that will NOT take a bottle from me. It's really hard to feed anyway. I saw some threads on here about that, but none of it has worked---yet. I thought the Tommee Tippee would have been IT, but noooope

Anyone have some other ideas. No cereal. 6m. mashed soft fruit or veggie in a net feeder, but doesn't take much for that either.

[Blackcat31]

I have a dear little dck that will NOT take a bottle from me. It's really hard to feed anyway. I saw some threads on here about that, but none of it has worked---yet. I thought the Tommee Tippee would have been IT, but noooope

Anyone have some other ideas. No cereal. 6m. mashed soft fruit or veggie in a net feeder, but doesn't take much for that either.

This is a tough one and in all honesty I have always made all my breast feeding moms make sure their baby took a bottle without issue BEOFRE they could start in care.

I make it clear that if I have troubles with a baby taking the bottle, I will call and ask for the child to be picked up. I refuse to care for a starving baby and if I try to force the issue it only makes things worse.

Nan had a great "rule" about infants and feeding. She required the parent to actually SHOW her that the infant would take a bottle without issue. She said many parents would say the baby took a botle no problem but then when she tried they wouldn't so she makes them actually show her the child can and will.

I also think that what they do at home is sometimes so different than what we do at daycare that some of these poor children are so confused about eating.

I have a breastfeeding mom too but she KNEW she was going back to work when baby was 4 months old so she never actually nursed her child. She pumped and bottled fed him the breastmilk so she knew he would be fine at daycare. I REALLY appreciate the fact that she pre-planned for her return to work and absence from her baby.

[MaritimeMummy]

6 months, you say? Don't panic! Can you offer in a sippy cup or even an open cup?

As a last resort, I know this is going to sound completely off the wall, but honestly exclusively breastfed babies CAN go during working hours without consuming anything. It's true! What's happening is that baby just wants mom, is holding out for mom, and when mom picks that baby up, baby is going to nurse and nurse and nurse and nurse to make up for that...mostly for the bonding. Where a baby would start sleeping longer stretches at 6 months and not needing to nurse much through the night anymore, this baby is doing that during the day and will likely be up all night ramping up nursing and trying to get "mommy time". Not uncommon. Do what you can, offer in a cup...open and sippy, and if that doesn't work, don't force the issue. Babe won't starve!

(is there any way Mom can stop in once or twice during the day to breastfeed?)

[youretooloud]

6 months, you say? Don't panic! Can you offer in a sippy cup or even an open cup?

As a last resort, I know this is going to sound completely off the wall, but honestly exclusively breastfed babies CAN go during working hours without consuming anything. It's true! What's happening is that baby just wants mom, is holding out for mom, and when mom picks that baby up, baby is going to nurse and nurse and nurse and nurse to make up for that...mostly for the bonding. Where a baby would start sleeping longer stretches at 6 months and not needing to nurse much through the night anymore, this baby is doing that during the day and will likely be up all night ramping up nursing and trying to get "mommy time". Not uncommon. Do what you can, offer in a cup...open and sippy, and if that doesn't work, don't force the issue. Babe won't starve!

(is there any way Mom can stop in once or twice during the day to breastfeed?)

Basically this is what I was going to say.

I'm sorry the tommy tippee didn't work. That one is always my go to bottle for breast fed babies.

[momma2girls]

I have a 9 month old that hasn't taken the bottel hardly at all for me. I keep telling and telling the parents. They started here about 3 weeks ago now. I have her on a sippee cup, which she only takes very little thoughout the day with it. She hardly ever drinks out of her bottle any longer. She is eating baby food fine and now snacks. UGHH!!!

[MNMum]

IF the baby is content and not screaming, I wouldn't worry too much. Offer sippy's. Have the parents provide different types, like a straw sippy, soft spout, hard spout. You can actually get some milk in safely with a spoon. Make sure mom knows the child has taken nearly nothing and that they need to make up for that loss. Have the parents monitor wet diapers. My third child would NOT take a bottle. He was content while I was gone, would take a little water from a sippy and had his solids while I was away. He nursed non stop when I got home, including overnight (he reverse cycled). Maybe if she cannot come to you at lunchtime she would want to enlist a grandparent or someone to bring the baby to her. Breastfeeding and breastmilk are so important to our babies, I would do what I could to support her, and let her know if things were not working out.

[youretooloud]

Shot glasses are actually good for this. Time consuming, but they do work.

[SimpleMom]

< yourtooloud, I haven't tried the shot glass
Mom can't get here to nurse, but I can see if there is someone that can pick up baby for her.
mostly cries unless I hold baby. Sometimes, fine on the floor now. only been here a few weeks. I will just lay off the bottle idea for now. See what happens I guess. I know they reverse cycle. A little hunger cry here and there now, so I was just concerned.

Hope it all goes well. Thanks ladies!

[cheerfuldom]

I dont cup feed infants....way too time consuming. If baby refuses bottles day after day and is not happy at daycare, mom needs to take a few days off to bottle train baby on her own time, and bring the baby back when they will take a bottle.

[harperluu]

I had an exclusively breastfed baby that refused a bottle last year. The baby was often hungry and cranky. I expressed my concern with mom, but she was very non-chalant about it. Once the baby began waking frequently at night, did she start to investigate the issue and consistently use the bottle when the baby was at home. I find that many parents don't concern themselves too much with issues at childcare until it becomes an issue for them.

[MaritimeMummy]

I dont cup feed infants....way too time consuming. If baby refuses bottles day after day and is not happy at daycare, mom needs to take a few days off to bottle train baby on her own time, and bring the baby back when they will take a bottle.

But cup feeding is actually the best case, ideal scenario for an exclusively breastfeeding mother. A mother should not have to rely on a bottle, no matter what its contents (formula or breast milk) to be able to work and still maintain a good breastfeeding relationship. As a breastfeeding advocate myself and lactation educator, I recommend a breastfeeding mother to use cups rather than a bottle. But that's just me...it certainly helps the mom if she knows the child care provider is on board from day 1.

As far as Mom "showing" the provider prior to care that baby will take a bottle...just because Mom can do it doesn't mean a baby will allow a stranger to give a bottle, kwim?

[MaritimeMummy]

I had an exclusively breastfed baby that refused a bottle last year. The baby was often hungry and cranky. I expressed my concern with mom, but she was very non-chalant about it. Once the baby began waking frequently at night, did she start to investigate the issue and consistently use the bottle when the baby was at home. I find that many parents don't concern themselves too much with issues at childcare until it becomes an issue for them.

...and in regard to this...I know many, MANY moms who are actually going through the bottle refusal right now. These moms are just fine with the fact that they're not taking it during the day, they are happy without it, just refusing it. These moms are more than happy to have that closeness to their babies through the night, and I know many of them co-sleep because of it. :-) So, not an issue for them at all. :-)

[Nickel]

I had this happen to me last night. my new dcg is exclusively breastfeed. She's younger, but it might still work. Mom has actually been introducing the bottle at home but she refuses the bottle unless she's sitting in a bouncy chair. That didn't work for me when I tried it and I knew she was starving!!! So I losely swaddled her. Enough for her arms to be snugged and not escape. I left the feet open. I then got her really cozy in my arms so she couldn't turn away. not forcing her but more that grib when you are a new parent and afraid your are going to drop the baby. Then I brought my legs up so it was just her and I in a cozy little spot and put the bottle in her mouth and waited until she "latched" It worked and she drank the bottle. I was so so happy.

You might be able to motify that some, but it helped us out last night. She actually drank about 3 ounces like that, which was a huge improvement from the 1 oz she had earlier.

If she won't take the bottle, she will still be ok at dc. My dcm last night told me her pediatrician told her that the babies can go all day without eating but they will then nurse all night every hour. She said it's not ideal, but they can survive. Just keep trying....

She might get it eventually or she might never until she transitions to a sippy cup. Could you maybe put just a tiny bit of juice in a sippy to see if she will drink out of it and then try putting the bm in the cup?

[cheerfuldom]

But cup feeding is actually the best case, ideal scenario for an exclusively breastfeeding mother. A mother should not have to rely on a bottle, no matter what its contents (formula or breast milk) to be able to work and still maintain a good breastfeeding relationship. As a breastfeeding advocate myself and lactation educator, I recommend a breastfeeding mother to use cups rather than a bottle. But that's just me...it certainly helps the mom if she knows the child care provider is on board from day 1.

As far as Mom "showing" the provider prior to care that baby will take a bottle...just because Mom can do it doesn't mean a baby will allow a stranger to give a bottle, kwim?

I understand what you are saying and I fully support a mother choosing to breastfeed her child. I nurse my own kids so I know it can be tough. However, I am not willing to cup feed an infant in order for a daycare mom to maintain a breastfeeding relationship. If she or her child needs that type of extra care, this isnt the daycare for them.

[MNMum]

I understand what you are saying and I fully support a mother choosing to breastfeed her child. I nurse my own kids so I know it can be tough. However, I am not willing to cup feed an infant in order for a daycare mom to maintain a breastfeeding relationship. If she or her child needs that type of extra care, this isnt the daycare for them.

I get this, and feel this way as well. I probably wouldn't be able to go to that extreme for a daycare child. I'm helping out my best friend in this situation. And my husband had to go to extremes for our third child. Sometimes baby's needs can't be met in a group care setting. You have to look out for the good of the group.